The Robert and Renée Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, also known as the Belfer Center, is a research center located within the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, in the United States. From 2017 until his death in October, 2022, the center was led by Director

Ash Carter Ashton Baldwin Carter (September 24, 1954 – October 24, 2022) was an American government official and academic who served as the 25th United States Secretary of Defense from February 2015 to January 2017. He later served as director of the Be ...

, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and Co-Director Eric Rosenbach, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense. Belfer was founded in 1973 by biochemist

Paul M. Doty Paul Mead Doty (June 1, 1920 – December 5, 2011) was Mallinckrodt Professor of Biochemistry at Harvard University, specializing in the physical properties of macromolecules and strongly involved in peace and security policy issues. Biograph ...

as the Program for Science and International Affairs within Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences to provide analysis on

arms control Arms control is a term for international restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation and usage of small arms, conventional weapons, and weapons of mass destruction. Arms control is typically exercised through the u ...

and nuclear threat reduction. Following a grant from the Ford Foundation, the program was re-established as the Center for Science and International Affairs, becoming the first permanent research center at the newly formed School of Government. In 1997, following further endowment, the center was renamed as the Robert and Renée Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs in honor of

Robert A. Belfer Robert Alexander Belfer (born 1935) is an American oilman and philanthropist who is known for his stake in Enron and is the namesake of Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School. Early life and education Belf ...

, founder of Belco Oil & Gas Corporation. In 2012, the

Stanton Foundation The Stanton Foundation is a private foundation established by Frank Stanton, a long-time president of Columbia Broadcasting System ("CBS"). The Foundation focuses primarily on three areas in which Stanton was unable to complete his philanthro ...

provided funds for a paid Wikipedian in residence at the Belfer Center. This became controversial due to links between the Belfer Center and the Stanton Foundation (the directors of each are a married couple) and public concerns about

conflict-of-interest editing on Wikipedia Conflict-of-interest (COI) editing on Wikipedia occurs when editors use Wikipedia to advance the interests of their external roles or relationships. The type of COI editing of most concern on Wikipedia is paid editing for public relations (PR) p ...

. The center is organized into subgroups with specific areas of focus; for example, an energy technology innovation policy group led by Laura Diaz Anadon. A 2021 investigative report by student group Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard found that many of the center's climate initiatives were funded in part by fossil fuel companies, and that the center had allegedly taken several steps to cover up that fact.

Board members

Center board members include: *

Graham Allison Graham Tillett Allison Jr. (born March 23, 1940) is an American political scientist and the Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is renowned for his contribution in the late ...

, former Director, Belfer Center, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School *

Lewis M. Branscomb Lewis McAdory Branscomb (born August 17, 1926) is an American physicist, government policy advisor, and corporate research manager. He is best known as former head of the National Bureau of Standards and, later, chief scientist of IBM; and as ...

, Professor emeritus of Public Policy and Corporate Management * Albert Carnesale, former Harvard University provost *

Ashton B. Carter Ashton Baldwin Carter (September 24, 1954 – October 24, 2022) was an American government official and academic who served as the 25th United States Secretary of Defense from February 2015 to January 2017. He later served as director of the B ...

, Chair of International Relations, Security & Science faculty, physicist, who served as the 25th United States Secretary of Defense (until his death in October 2022) *

John M. Deutch John Mark Deutch (born July 27, 1938) is an American physical chemist and civil servant. He was the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1994 to 1995 and Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from May 10, 1995 until December 15, 1996 ...

, former

Director of Central Intelligence The director of central intelligence (DCI) was the head of the American Central Intelligence Agency from 1946 to 2005, acting as the principal intelligence advisor to the president of the United States and the United States National Security C ...

* John P. Holdren, John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy * Joseph Nye, University Distinguished Service Professor

Advisory board

The center has an international advisory board. Members include: * Michael Chertoff, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security *

Gregory C. Carr Gregory C. Carr (born 1959) is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. His main philanthropic venture is the restoration of Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park, which has been ravaged by civil war and environmental destruction. He has pled ...

, Boston Technology founder * Tim Collins,

Ripplewood Holdings Ripplewood is an American private equity firm based in New York City that focuses on leveraged buyouts, late stage venture, growth capital, management buyouts, leveraged recapitalizations and other illiquid investments. Ripplewood was founded ...

founder *

Chuck Robbins Charles H. Robbins (born 1965/1966) is an American businessman, and the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Cisco Systems. Early life Robbins was born in Grayson, Georgia, and educated at Rocky Mount High School in Rocky Mount, North C ...

, CEO of Cisco Systems * Nathaniel Rothschild, Atticus Capital co-chairman

Past members

Stephen Biddle Stephen D. Biddle (born January 19, 1959) is an American author, historian, policy analyst and columnist whose work concentrates on U.S. foreign policy. Currently, he is the Professor of International and Public Affairs at School of Internation ...

, theorist setting U.S. counterinsurgency policy * Pierpaolo Barbieri, author, founder of Ualá * Paul Volcker, former United States Chairman of the Federal Reserve

References

External links

Official website
Harvard Kennedy School 1973 establishments in Massachusetts Realist think tanks {{org-stub